ok i have innoculated my first batch of cambodian. two days ago, they are in my two tub incubator, and i have not checked for myc. growth yet as i am afraid that exposing them to any light may kill or stun growth.1.) will light exposure kill myc.?2.)how long should i wait to check them?3.)my home is set at 75deg. F i have a heating pad (aquarium heater did not produce enough heat) with the pad temp ranges from 75-81 deg F. will this be ok?4.)when should i check for contamination?PLEASE HELP I AM A NEWBIE, NOT A ROCKET SCIENTIST BUT NOT STUPID.

The myc is exposed to indirect sunlight, moonlight, and any other chance exposure to man made light all the time, yet shrooms are still produced.

Myc wont die, but it loves warm moist darkness. Its ok to check your jars every few days to see the progress, and check for contams.

If the heating pad keeps your tub around 80 thats fine. I use an aquarium heater also, but its useless without a pump to keep the water flowing.. Mine stays around 83 degrees.

I dont have any pics of contams, but there are several posted in this forum if you use the search function.. The rule of thumb is if its all white, its alright.. Occasionally you could see some bluish coloring -aka- bruising, caused by lack of moisture, or handling during the harvest. Any other colors - red, green, gray, black, etc..- is contams and needs to be discarded.

thank you...its day three and i have six jars...three cambodia/three equador.The cambodian does notseem to be doing much of anything, but the equador has one of three jars with a few bright white spots, and lots of what looks like maybe myc. growth in early stages kind of fuzzy and translucent, is this normal or are my colonizing jars contaminated? AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR A TIMELY RESPONSE

No need to be worried about anything yet.. Sometimes it takes 4-5 days to see any visible myc growth when using syringes or prints. Patience is required for this hobby! We can try and create the best environment, but ultimately, nature works at its own pace :mellow: